


The Kids' Table

by valda



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Gen, Thanksgiving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-30
Updated: 2015-11-30
Packaged: 2018-05-10 21:12:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5601154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valda/pseuds/valda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Janice has some thoughts about inviting the Harlans to Thanksgiving.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Kids' Table

“This isn’t fair,” Janice hissed at him the moment they were alone.

Cecil quietly closed the bedroom door, then turned to her. “What isn’t fair?”

“That you invited him here.”

Cecil blinked in surprise. “Janice!”

“Well it isn’t!” Janice insisted, rolling toward him and staring heatedly up into his face. “I don’t get why grown-ups always expect kids to get along just because they’re all kids.”

“Heard the show, did you?” Cecil smiled tightly.

“We don’t have _anything_ to talk about,” Janice whined. “He’s _weird_ , Uncle Cecil.”

Cecil grimaced. “Well, Janice,” he said, “I know it’s perfectly normal to dislike someone for being different. But really—gray, decomposing skin and a strikingly transparent quality aren’t all _that_ weird, right?”

“No,” Janice said, waving a hand impatiently. “That’s not why he’s weird. I don’t care about that.”

“What, then?”

She frowned and crossed her arms. “I don’t know. I don’t like him.”

“Janice!” Cecil said again.

“It’s okay for people not to like each other,” Janice said, a note of accusation in her voice. “You don’t like my dad, and that’s okay.”

Cecil bit down a _He’s not your dad_ and instead gritted, “That’s different.”

“How?”

“It just _is_.”

Janice huffed and turned her head away. “It’s the same.”

“No,” Cecil began, then stopped himself. “Okay, fine. You can think of it the same way if you want, even though the situations are _totally different_. There’s nothing wrong with Roger.” He held up a hand, and Janice scowled and closed her mouth. “But I need you to be nice, okay, sweetie? Roger and Earl are our guests. They had nowhere else to go. We need to be their family. Just for today. Okay?”

Janice was still scowling. “I don’t like him,” she said again. “But okay. Fine.”

Cecil let out a breath. “Thank you,” he said. “Now let’s get back out there.” He opened the door. Thick black smoke poured into the room, completely engulfing them. “Ah!” Cecil coughed. “Looks like the turkey’s done!”


End file.
